Disclosed is an orthotic in which the heel portion of a sole is raised above the forefoot-receiving portion by one and one-half inches. The sole is of ordinary shape and dimensions, except that there is disposed upon the sole a rectangular metatarsal pad having one edge extending perpendicularly to the metatarsals and engaging the head of the second metatarsal, the perpendicular sides engaging the medial side of the fifth metatarsal and the lateral side of the first metatarsal. As an addition, a...

A removable ball of the foot insert for placement into footwear at a position in correspondence with a forefoot portion of the footwear includes a substantially planar member made from a viscoelastic gel, the planar member including a lower surface and an upper surface, and a plurality of parallel, spaced apart, sinusoidally shaped spring walls formed from a viscoelastic gel and extending from the lower surface of the planar member at a predetermined area corresponding to a ball of the foot when...

An orthopedic canvas shoe containing a supporting arch and having a continuous flexible sole wherein the sole is formed such that the inside heel and arch portions of the sole are slightly elevated with respect to the remainder of the sole. The arch of the shoe is positioned such that the highest portion of the arch fits directly beneath the navicular bone of the foot. The arch is further supported and the foot held in proper position by extending the sole forwardly from the heel to the widest p...

An orthopedic canvas shoe containing a supporting arch and having a continuous flexible sole wherein the sole is formed such that the inside heel and arch portions of the sole are slightly elevated with respect to the remainder of the sole. The arch of the shoe is positioned such that the highest portion of the arch fits directly beneath the navicular bone of the foot. The arch is further supported and the foot held in proper position by extending the sole forwardly from the heel to the widest p...

A removable ball of the foot insert for placement into footwear at a position in correspondence with a forefoot portion of the footwear includes a substantially planar member made from a viscoelastic gel, the planar member including a lower surface and an upper surface, and a plurality of spring walls formed from a viscoelastic gel and extending from the lower surface of the planar member at a predetermined area corresponding to a ball of the foot when the insert is inserted into the footwear, f...

A device for insertion in a high-heeled shoe has a first crescent shaped raised area in a region underlying the forward edge of a wearer's heel bone and a second raised area underlying the metatarsals of the wearer is described. Also described is a method for constructing a shoe using the device and the resulting shoe.

A removable orthotic insert for improving the gait of a person suffering from diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, or other condition that impairs proper transfer of weight to the forefoot. There is a rigid cap member having a downwardly extending, transverse ridge located proximate the junction between the arch and forefoot portions of the insert, behind the metatarsal head area of the foot. The ridge engages the underlying insole of the shoe to form a pivot point that enables the insert to rock for...

Footwear including an insole formed for relieving pressure on a common digital nerve of a foot. The insole has heel, mid and forefoot sections. The forefoot section of the insole is formed with a pad having a neuroma pad section which underlies the third and fourth metatarsal heads of the foot, so that when a bottom of the foot is placed on the insole, the neuroma pad section applies an upward force to the bottom of the foot sufficient to spread the third and fourth metatarsal heads away from on...

The functional forefoot orthotic of this invention comprises a shell plate that is conformed to the sole of the foot replica, a forefoot posting shim is applied to the upper surface of the shell plate. A stabilizing heel platform may also be applied to the bottom of the shell plate. The forefoot posting shim is applied at the level of the first to third metatarsals for a varum prescription. The shape, size and thickness of the posting shim is determined by the prescription. The forefoot posting ...

An insole assembly for a shoe or other article of footwear. The assembly includes a soft, cushioning foam blank having an upper surface which is contoured to engage the plantar surface of a foot, and a thin, substantially rigid, resiliently flexible cap which is mounted to the bottom of the blank so as to extend around the heel end and forwardly along the medial and lateral sides thereof. The rigid cap includes an upstanding wall which engages and buttresses the perimeter of the foam blank, and ...